WARSAW, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Wednesday afternoon that he had decided to deploy military aircraft to support the evacuation of Polish citizens from the Middle East.
Earlier in the day, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Polish military was ready to evacuate Polish citizens in the Middle East who require medical assistance, while other Poles would return using civilian transport.
Under Polish law, the president authorizes the deployment of the armed forces abroad at the request of the government.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on Wednesday that he would support Prime Minister Tusk's request to use Polish Armed Forces aircraft to assist in evacuating Polish citizens.
According to the Polish Press Agency, Polish Minister of Sport and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki said that since Tuesday, 574 Polish citizens have returned to Poland from the Middle East.
The joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran entered its fifth day on Wednesday. The operation has triggered a sharp escalation across the Middle East, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political, security, and economic repercussions. ■
